


These Walls Caught Me Here With Something

by sleepydanceur



Series: Jongin's Birthday Fic Countdown [9]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M, Romance, several mentions of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 19:11:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5713891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepydanceur/pseuds/sleepydanceur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vampire bodyguard Kyungsoo and Jongin, his charge</p>
            </blockquote>





	These Walls Caught Me Here With Something

**Author's Note:**

> D-1
> 
> Happy Kaisoo Day!!
> 
> Title from f(x)'s '4 walls''

The apartment isn’t as small as Jongin expected it to be, nicer than he’d anticipated actually, which he’s grateful for. Still, knowing that he’s going to have to stay within these four walls indefinitely until it’s safe for him to be outside makes his stomach drop. 

“It’s not much but it’s the best I could do,” his father says, picking some lint off the small couch. He’s got those deep stress lines on his forehead again. 

“It’s fine, dad,”Jongin says, working a smile on his face. He’s still not entirely on board with the whole hiding him away for his own protection plan, but if it’ll appease his dad long enough to get through this then he’ll do it. 

“There’s uh- there’s one more thing,” his dad heads over to open the door of the apartment. “I hired a bodyguard. From the Enhanced department.”

“Dad”, Jongin groans exasperatedly. “Is this really necessary?”

A man walks into the apartment, wearing a fitted black suit and crisp shirt, his dark hair styled off his face neatly. He stands behind Jongin’s father with his hands clasped behind his back, as still as a statue as he surveys everything with sharp eyes. Vampire services are incredibly expensive with their tripled manpower all rolled into one. They’re already tight on money enough as it is with all this going on.

“It’s just until this is all over,” his dad pleads, grasping his shoulders tightly. “I just need to know you’re safe. It’s all i can afford right now until I find another way to keep you safe.”

Jongin sighs but hugs him tightly when he tugs him in. His dad pulls away to draw Jongin’s attention to the new bodyguard.

“This is Kyungsoo,” he says, stepping aside to let them greet each other. Kyungsoo is almost a head shorter than him, but Jongin wouldn’t dare underestimate his strength. He shakes his hand, feeling the cool temperature of his skin. He must be from one of the top agencies in town if he’s walking around at three in the afternoon without burning. They can afford their own team of witches to immunize vampires from the sun.

Jongin’s dad has to leave for a meeting soon after that, showing him over to the stocked fridge before pulling him into a hug again. 

“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” he promises before leaving. The door swings shut and then it’s just him and Kyungsoo left in the apartment. 

It’s every bit as awkward as Jongin expects it to be. The silence hangs heavily in the air when neither of them says a word, and Kyungsoo doesn’t look like he’s about to. He just stands by the wall in his spotless suit, like a vigilant soldier on the lookout. Which Jongin appreciates, really, even if it unsettles him. 

He’s been on edge since the incident. The anomaly in his DNA never really felt like a glaring time bomb on his shoulders until it was exposed. Maybe he was too naive, thinking he could keep it hidden by being discreet about it. It just felt too selfish to keep it all to himself when the regenerative properties in his blood could help so many people, to heal them. He’s been careful about where he goes to donate too, sticking mostly to the drive through vans that never stick around too long. His name was leaked after the ‘miraculous recovery’ of some government minister, of all people, led back to him. So much for anonymity.

The first attempt to kidnap him would have succeeded if they hadn’t been spotted by an off-duty officer who happened to be there in the right place, at the right time. That was the last straw for Dr.Kim, his father, and that’s how he wound up here. 

Dr. Kim has been working on his own pharmaceutical, an advancement in stem cell research. The annual convention is coming up soon and he’ll be presenting his work to a hall full of potential investors. 

“If I can find someone willing to sign me on, then I’ll be able to keep you safe,” he’d explained to Jongin before he brought him here. “A lot of these businessmen have investments with sorcerers, that would be a start.”

He immediately shoots down Jongin’s suggestion to use his blood to help improve their chances, adamantly refusing to treat him like a lab experiment. 

There’s nothing left for Jongin to do but lay low and hope for the best. Heaving out a sigh, he steps further into the house, checking out the rest of the rooms, with Kyungsoo shadowing his footsteps silently. He’ll have to get used to that.

It’s almost time for dinner and Jongin wonders if he should even try asking Kyungsoo if he’d like a bite to eat. Before he can say anything though, Kyungsoo leaves him to it and heads off on another perimeter check. 

It’s only slightly disconcerting having to push aside the batch of blood bags in the freezer to get to the frozen pizza but not enough to make him lose his appetite. He had a credit about vampires back in college so he’s already familiar with the necessity of blood for certain vascular activities, even if it’s not exclusive in their diet.

Jongin sighs, pulling out the pasta and cooks in silence, already feeling lonely.

 

▸

 

It hits him a few days later when Kyungsoo stops in his tracks and darts backwards in a split second, right before Jongin nearly bumps into him in the bathroom. He bows apologetically and flits out of the way, stepping a good distance away from Jongin and faces away from him, keeping an eye out as usual. 

It’s strange behaviour, all things considered. It takes Jongin a moment to figure it out but the conclusion he comes to is the only one that seems to make sense. Still, he says nothing yet and closes the bathroom door behind him. He’ll need one more go at it before he's sure.

Later that day, he marches out into the living room with his book in hand and sure enough, he just catches Kyungsoo darting off the armchair, clearing the space out for him. He's only a blur when he moves and Jongin finds him standing by the doorway to the kitchen seconds later, half concealed behind the wall and facing the other way. Out of Jongin's obvious line of sight.

Slumping down on the couch, Jongin opens up his book and finds his page. He gets through the same line five times over before his thoughts scatter again. Kyungsoo may be out of sight, but Jongin is more aware of him now than when he could see him. He needs to clear the air.

“I’m not afraid of you, you know,” he says carefully, not looking up from his book. Kyungsoo remains silent.

Part of the reason why vampire agencies have boomed so successfully in the protection services sector is because their presence in itself is enough to intimidate perpetrators away. What they don't take into account is how much they terrify their own charges too. It's never been a priority.

Jongin turns to see Kyungsoo’s expression looking conflicted, caught off guard. Stepping out from behind the wall, he keeps himself pressed into the doorframe, eyeing Jongin with a slight frown.

Jongin determinedly holds his gaze and Kyungsoo's face smoothes out.

"Okay," he says quietly, giving a small nod. His face is blank but there's still an air of uncertainty about him. He shuffles back behind the wall, out of Jongin's sight again.

Bummed, Jongin turns back to thumb at the pages of his book aimlessly, wondering if he's made any difference at all. He sighs, wondering what else he can possibly do to get through to him. Watching Kyungsoo walk on eggshells around him is only making him even more uncomfortable.

Jongin gives up trying to read his book and heads off to go take a long shower.

 

Kyungsoo slides up beside him when he's in the kitchen, working on putting dinner together and quietly offers to help him with dicing the carrots. Beaming, Jongin hands him a knife, beyond relieved when Kyungsoo returns his smile. He doesn't flinch away from Jongin this time.

Jongin automatically makes enough for two and Kyungsoo takes a seat at the table without protest. He’s actually quite handsome when he smiles, Jongin notes.

 

▸

 

Nothing much changes since he’s still confined to the same space everyday, with a limited choice of things to do. At least Kyungsoo doesn’t go out of his way to stay out of Jongin’s sight anymore, simply nodding up at him from his book when Jongin takes a seat beside him with his own novel. 

The silence isn’t quite as oppressive in the house now that he can fill it with bouts of conversation here and there, adding that to his choice of daily activities. Jongin’s never met a vampire face to face even though he took the class, and his curiosity is boundless. Sometimes he makes them both a cup of tea before he asks, like the hot beverage is an apology for his incessant questions. Kyungsoo though; he’s quiet and reserved. That’s still part of who he is even when he’s not making an effort to dodge him but he indulges Jongin anyway, not looking bothered by the questions at all. 

“Is it rude if I ask how old you are?” Jongin blurts out and Kyungsoo chuckles, probably having expected that one. 

“I would have been twenty six this year,” he says, actually pulling out his ID card to show him. “I’ll just always look twenty three.”

Jongin nods silently, his heart going out to him and quickly changes the subject. 

 

Most nights Kyungsoo takes over cooking; part of the protection process, he maintains though he’s not much better at it than Jongin. They eat together because Jongin insists he might as well live comfortably if he’s got to be confined in here with him. Better to have a good rapport between them if they’re going to do this.

“I’m not royalty and you’re not my slave,” he says quietly, setting the plates down on the placemats. 

Kyungsoo looks at him thoughtfully, a strange, calculating look in his eyes. When Jongin brings the food over, Kyungsoo’s face has softened and there’s a small smile inching across his lips. 

“You’re very strange,” he says, but he’s still smiling, nodding his thanks when Jongin shovels a portion of rice onto his plate.

“Was that supposed to be a compliment?”Jongin asks, taking in a mouthful of peas.

“Yes,” Kyungsoo says. “My resume is full of spoilt brats so this is refreshing.”

Jongin bursts out laughing, almost spitting out his food and Kyungsoo chuckles, offering him a napkin.

 

▸

 

Jongin boots up his laptop in the evening, waiting patiently as the Skype window loads. The wifi is crap in here because of all the precautions they've taken to scramble the IP address so his location can't be traced. Still, the pixels of his dad's face appear on the screen moments later, the audio crackling a little before it steadies.

Jongin had already known from the start that his dad wouldn't be able to come around. They can't run the risk of someone tailing him all the way here and give Jongin away.

"Everything alright over there?" Dr. Kim asks, peering into the camera.

"I’m fine dad. How's the presentation going?"

Dr. Kim sighs. "It's taking a while.There’s a lot of applicants and they’ll want to run more tests before even thinking about investing. I'm doing everything I can to speed things up."

He looks apologetic and Jongin waves him off quickly, telling him not to worry. They chat for a few more minutes before Dr. Kim has to leave again and the video stream goes blank. It might be a while till he can get out of this apartment.

Kyungsoo pats him on the shoulder when he walks into the kitchen with the groceries. 

"All good?" he asks, stacking the cartons of milk in the fridge, 

"Yeah, I guess," Jongin sighs, running a hand through his hair. He looks up and grins at him. "You're stuck with me for a while longer"

Kyungsoo chuckles, pushing the last of the canned tuna into the cupboard.

A thought crosses his mind and Jongin bites his lip, wondering if it's really his place. His curiosity gets the best of him.

"Can I ask...do you still keep in touch with your parents?" he tries delicately, hoping he hasn't crossed a line. 

Thankfully, Kyungsoo smiles and pulls a chair out for himself.

"I visit my mum most weekends when I'm not working," he says. "She lives on the other side of town so it’s easy enough." 

"She knows, then?" Jongin asks.

"Yeah. Would've been hard not to notice that her son hasn't aged in a few years anyway," Kyungsoo says. He seems to sense what Jongin's curious about despite not voicing it out loud.

"She's just glad I'm not dead. Or as dead as I could be really."

Jongin nods quietly, suddenly wanting to hold Kyungsoo’s hand where it’s lying on the table. He doesn’t though, staring down at his thumbs instead.

“I guess the hardest part about still having relationships with people I care about is knowing I’m going to outlive all of them,” Kyungsoo murmurs, an edge of sadness in his voice. “The curse of immortality, I suppose.”

He goes off to do his nightly perimeter checks around the house soon after that and Jongin moves to the sitting room. Switching on the TV, he flicks through the channels aimlessly, unable to find anything interesting enough to watch for longer than a couple of minutes.

A sudden ding from the kitchen surprises him out of his bored stupor, craning his neck back over the couch just in time to see Kyungsoo flit past to open the microwave. Jongin hadn't even realized he'd put something in it. 

He smells the popcorn before Kyungsoo even emerges from the kitchen again, holding a large plastic bowl in his hands, filled to the brim. He pushes it into Jongin’s hands wordlessly before grabbing the remote and turning the TV off. 

"Um?" Jongin blinks at him, confused.

Kyungsoo ignores him in favour of moving the furniture with the TV on it aside effortlessly. Jongin's eyes follow him as he rounds the couch again, doing a double take when he spots the projector set up behind him that definitely wasn't there ten minutes ago. Jongin spots the wire connecting it to his laptop, right before the projector light comes on and suddenly there's an enlarged picture projected onto the blank wall in front of him; a paused screen from a movie, he realizes.

"I know it's been really boring being cooped up in here every day, and I’m not much fun," Kyungsoo says quietly, looking apologetic when he's finally done setting up the projector and faces Jongin. "I can't let you go to the movies properly, but I thought it might be fun like this anyway."

He waves his hand at the picture on the wall feebly, starting to look unsure of his own idea the longer Jongin stays silent.

Jongin decides not to mention how much Kyungsoo's company has been helping to allay his boredom and loneliness; his throat feels a little too tight.

Kyungsoo presses play and the sound from the movie blares out from speakers that he'd set up god knows when.

He starts inching away, about to leave him to it but Jongin immediately reaches over the couch and yanks him back by the wrist. 

"Not a chance," he snorts, pulling Kyungsoo right over the back of the couch and hooks his elbow around Kyungsoo’s neck. He could shake him off if he wanted to, of course, but Kyungsoo does nothing to resist him.

"Stay with me," Jongin says softly, unable to hide the slight pleading lilt in his tone.

Kyungsoo stares at him for a moment, studying his face. A soft smile breaks across his lips and Jongin spares a wistful moment to wonder if his cheeks would be rosy right now if he were human.

Settling down properly, Jongin kicks off his shoes and pulls his feet onto the couch. Kyungsoo mirrors him moments later and scoops up a handful of popcorn when Jongin nudges the bowl at him.

 

▸

 

Being so confined still gets to him though, despite the efforts made to keep him entertained. Jongin gets moody and rather cranky some days after being trapped within four walls for so long. It's making him antsy, pacing around the apartment restlessly as he bites his nails, a nervous habit he's picked up since he's been in here.

The frustration keeps building, finally culminating when he snaps at Kyungsoo after he tries to get Jongin to relax and stop pacing.

Kyungsoo presses his lips together and retreats with a bow, leaving Jongin alone in the room to stew in the sudden wave of regret that washes over him. Jongin deflates, hanging his head in shame at what an asshole he's being.

He finds Kyungsoo in the spare bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed as he scrolls through his phone messages. He slips it into his pocket when he hears Jongin come in, looking up at him with a blank expression and Jongin feels even shittier. He crosses the room and sits on the mattress beside Kyungsoo, trying to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he starts quietly, dipping his chin towards his chest. "You're just doing your job, and I really am grateful for it. I shouldn't have snapped at you when you're stuck in here with me too."

It's not his smoothest apology by far but it seems to be enough because he feels Kyungsoo tap under his chin with a finger, coaxing him to look up. The blank wall on his face is gone and he's back to his warm smile again. Jongin isn't prepared for the way his stomach swoops, more relieved to see his smile than he thought he would be.

He lets his hand creep over the edge of the mattress to find Kyungsoo's fingers, tentatively wrapping them around his and he feels Kyungsoo squeeze them back. Something about it feels intimate, the most tender Kyungsoo has been with him since they met.

The moment shatters when Kyungsoo suddenly stands up and yanks at his ear, chiding him and Jongn yelps, promising him a nice dinner to make up for it.

 

▸

 

He's lounging on the couch when Kyungsoo suddenly bursts into the room, shrugging on his suit jacket.

"Get dressed," he says, smoothing out the knot on his tie. "We need to go."

Jongin elbow slips off the armrest. "Go? You mean out?"

"Yes, now come on," Kyungsoo tosses him his jacket and gathers his car keys from the mantelpiece.

Confused, Jongin shrugs the jacket on and slips into his shoes, cautiously following Kyungsoo out the door. They take the stairs down to the garage and Kyungsoo leads him to the car, carefully shielded with dark tinted windows.

"Kyungsoo, where are we going? Is something wrong?" Jongin asks, completely lost. He can't help the spark of excitement in his gut at _finally_ getting out of the house though.

Kyungsoo stays silent as he pulls out of the garage, eyeing the street sharply before driving off. He pulls off the highway after a while, taking a street that seems to stretch out for miles, bordered by a row of trees. Jongin's never been around this area before.

"Did someone find me?" he asks quietly, wondering if he's being moved before it's too late.

"What? No," Kyungsoo finally turns to look at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "It's nothing like that, I- just need to take you somewhere."

There's something he's not telling him for some reason but Jongin doesn't push. It doesn’t seem urgent and he'll find out eventually anyway.

Kyungsoo reaches out to turn on the radio and Jongin bursts out laughing at the first song that starts playing. 

"Are you serious?" he stares at Kyungsoo, quirking a judgmental eyebrow. "Justin Bieber?"

"It’s a good song," Kyungsoo turns the volume dial to blare the song out louder, tapping his thumbs against the wheel in time with the beat.

Scoffing, Jongin skips the song, ignoring Kyungsoo's indignant ' _hey_ ' and tries to see what else he's got.

"You literally just skipped the entire playlist," Kyungsoo grumbles, trying to swat Jongin's hand away but Jongin shakes him off.

Jongin finally pauses on a song, listening to the soft guitar intro for a moment, intrigued. He wouldn't have been able to flip over to the next song anyway, not when Kyungsoo whips a hand out to clasps his wrists together to hold him away.

"You'll like this one, I swear," he says and Jongin concedes, pulling his hands away, palms up in surrender.

He recognizes Bruno Mars's voice when he sings the first line and nods in time with the tune. This one is much better than everything else he's gone through at least, he'll give Kyungsoo that.

He gives a nod of approval and Kyungsoo grins smugly, focusing on the road ahead. "Told you."

It seems like they're in the middle of nowhere at this point, with the line of trees thickening at the side of the road they're on and not another car in sight. His curiosity is burning but his answer comes when they round the next bend and the sea comes into view.

His eyes go wide and he stares out his window, marveling at the vast stretch of blue spreading wide as far as he can see. It's been a while since he's seen the ocean. It's as breathtaking as he remembers, sparkling and reflecting the light of the sun hanging low in the sky.

"This is where you needed to take me?" he asks when Kyungsoo pulls up at a spot just before the sand starts and kills the engine. The beach looks empty too as far as he can tell, secluded enough that not many people must come by here too often.

“I thought you might enjoy some fresh air,” Kyungsoo smiles at him, scratching the back of his neck almost shyly. Jongin keeps looking at him even after Kyungsoo lowers his eyes, touched beyond words for a moment.

"You're terrible with surprises," he says then, laughing brightly with relief. "God, you made it seem like there was some sort of emergency."

Kyungsoo laughs apologetically, unhooking his seatbelt. "Didn't want to spoil it."

He's beaming and Jongin can't stop smiling either.

"So d'you wanna...?" Kyungsoo juts his chin out towards the sea up ahead, the waves lapping up along the shore softly.

"Not that I’m complaining, but isn’t this a bit dangerous?" Jongin asks, ready to jump out of the car anyway.

"I’ve got a couple of friends from back in the academy helping me out," Kyungsoo explains, pointing out their spots even though Jongin still can't see them. Probably part of the point anyway. "They're looking out from the perimeters, they'll make sure no one gets past."

That's good enough for him. Jongin throws the door open and hops out, stretching his arms above his head to work out the kinks in his stiff muscles. Kyungsoo hasn't moved yet.

"You coming?" he leans down and peers into the car, grinning at him. Kyungsoo's face lights up and he grins back, climbing out of the car.

Jongin kicks off his shoes immediately, relishing the feeling of the warm sand between his toes. Sucking in a deep breath, Jongin exhales slowly, electrified at the salty freshness of the air out here. The sun is going to set soon but it still feels _so_ good to feel the last of its warmth on his face.

It's too cold this time of the year to jump into the sea completely but Jongin rolls up the hem of his pants and dashes right into the shoreline, splashing in the cool water.

Kyungsoo pushes a finger into the knot of his tie and pulls it loose, popping open the first two buttons and shoves the tie into his pocket. He doesn't follow Jongin into the water though, sticking to the bank where the lapping waves don't quite reach. 

"Afraid of the water?" Jongin teases, cupping his hands in the water and flicking it in Kyungsoo's direction.

Narrowing his eyes, Kyungsoo slips his jacket off his shoulders and folds it neatly. He disappears for a fraction of a second and the jacket is gone, presumably having run back to shove it the car. Jongin doesn't get too much time to ponder over it because Kyungsoo wades into the water beside him and splashes him right back. 

Jongin takes off along the shoreline and Kyungsoo follows, hot on his heels returning every splash he takes before full out tripping him up and sending them both into the water. They’re both soaked through in seconds and Jongin’s laughing so hard he can’t breathe, reaching over to push Kyungsoo’s dripping bangs out of his eyes.

They don’t stay in the water for too long, getting out before the current becomes too strong. The sun sets quicker than he'd realized and Jongin shivers at the sudden chill that wracks his body, his drenched clothes clinging to his body. He settles down on the sand with his knees pulled into his chest, clutching the towel tightly around himself.

The weight of a towel being draped over his shoulders takes him by surprise. He blinks at Kyungsoo when he drops down on the sand beside him, bringing his knees up too. His own clothes just as soaked as Jongin's, clinging to his skin.

Jongin extends his arm, holding one end of the towel open in invitation, beckoning Kyungsoo with a tilt of his head.

"You know vampires don't feel cold right?" Kyungsoo laughs quietly but shifts closer anyway, pressing in close enough to share the towel between them. Their arms are pressed up together and Jongin's legs bump into Kyungsoo's absently, swaying his bent knees side to side in time with the lapping waves on the shore. 

"How long have you been planning this?" he asks curiously, thinking about all the effort that went into this whole thing. 

Kyungsoo is silent for a moment, staring out at the waves in the darkness. "A while."

Touched, Jongin turns to look at him, waiting patiently until Kyungsoo meets his eyes back.

"Thank you," he whispers, feeling his heart leap into his throat. He wonders if Kyungsoo can hear it.

His limbs feels heavy and he can't pull away, drawn to Kyungsoo in a way that makes his stomach turn over on itself. He can feel Kyungsoo's breath against his face from this proximity but he still doesn't draw back, despite how acutely aware he is that they're not entirely alone out here.

Kyungsoo's expression flickers, and Jongin sees a flash of doubt in his eyes as he studies his face, as though looking for the answer to a question he hasn't asked yet. He seems to fight with himself a moment longer before tilting his head up and pressing his lips to Jongin’s crown, softer and warmer than Jongin had expected.

He’s not looking at him when Jongin tilts his face up again. Frowning, Jongin opens his mouth to say something but Kyungsoo cuts him off.

“We should get going,” he says, pushes himself off the sand and Jongin presses his lips back together, hurt. 

It’s a quiet ride home, neither of them bothering with the radio this time. The air is tense between them, heavy with something unspoken and Jongin stares out the window the entire way back, wondering how to break through it and if he even should.

The house is dark when Jongin pushes the door open to let them both in, reaching blindly to flick on the lights. His heart is in his throat, barely conscious of what he’s doing until he hears Kyungsoo say something about a perimeter check. Despite that, he hasn’t moved from Jongin’s side yet, their knuckles still brushing together.

Jongin reaches out and slides his fingers into Kyungsoo’s palm, holding him softly. This constant battle with his emotions bubbling ever closer to the surface is exhausting and he gives in to it.

Kyungsoo looks down at their linked hands, rubbing his thumb along the back of Jongin’s hand softly before meeting his eyes again. He takes a step closer, looking up at Jongin carefully and Jongin can’t tear his eyes away. He leans in slowly and Kyungsoo arches his neck up slightly, his eyelashes fluttering

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo murmurs, his voice a ghost of a whisper when Jongin is just a hair’s breadth from his lips.

“Yeah,” Jongin says and closes the distance. 

Kyungsoo’s lips are soft, moving against his own, pressing on his again and again. Jongin kisses him until it feels like he’ll never need to breathe again but Kyungsoo suddenly pulls away.

“I...can’t,” he whispers and Jongin pauses, trying to catch his eye but Kyungsoo is still looking down at his lips, frowning. He dips in again, leaning in slowly to give Kyungsoo the chance to push him away but Kyungsoo lets him, lets Jongin distract him with his mouth before he seems to remember himself.

“You don’t want this,” he gasps, curling his cold fingers around his arm as if to make a point and Jongin knows he’s not talking about anything other than what he is.

“I do,” he insists, brushing his lips along Kyungsoo’s cheek, already used to the coldness of his skin. “I want _you”_

Kyungsoo seems to battle with himself a moment longer before finally giving in. Reaching up to cup the side of Jongin’s neck, he kisses him and pushes him up against the back of the couch, stepping in between his legs. 

His gasp is loud in the quiet apartment when Jongin kisses down his neck, sucking a mark into his skin. Grunting impatiently, he grabs onto Jongin’s arms and they’re in his bedroom within a split second. He pushes Jongin down flat on his back on the bed and Jongin feels the breath rush out of his lungs. 

“Woah,” he breathes, awed, and Kyungsoo laughs, clambering into his lap to take his face into his hands and kiss him again. 

Jongin melts into it, sitting up, desperate to get closer to him, to touch him, sliding his hands up along his thighs and around his firm waist, mapping him out. His tears at Kyungsoo’s shirt buttons, ripping it off and Kyungsoo yanks Jongin’s off even faster, dipping down to mouth at his collarbones. 

Jongin can feel Kyungsoo’s cool fingers slipping past the waist of his pants, flattening his palms against his skin, kneading his ass. Nosing at his temple, Jongin coaxes him back up to kiss him again, licking into his mouth with a quiet whine. 

“You haven’t fed yet,” he gasps against Kyungsoo’s lips, his breath hitching when Kyungsoo kisses up along his jaw, latching onto a sensitive spot right behind his ear. 

“Still got some from this morning in my system,” Kyungsoo hums, squeezing his ass again before slipping his hands out and works on the button of Jongin’s pants instead, popping it open. “Just enough.” 

“But-” he stills for a moment, halting his hands and looks up at Jongin, seeming to mull over his words before saying anything. Sliding a hand up to palm Jongin’s cheek, Kyungsoo stares at him thoughtfully just as he leans in to press a chaste kiss to his mouth. 

“I want to feel you,” he says after a moment, nipping at his lip lightly. There’s a hint of uncertainty in his tone, asking if this is okay. Jongin catches his eye again; his pupils are blown wide with arousal. 

Groaning, he reaches down for Kyungsoo’s zipper, pushing his pants down around his thighs until Kyungsoo climbs off him. He moves too fast for Jongin to catch up with him, kicking his own pants off and helping Jongin out of his in the blink of an eye before he’s on him again, pressing a bottle of lube into his hands. 

Jongin barks out a laugh, falling back against the sheets with Kyungsoo’s elbows bracketing his head. He’s grinning down at him, his eyes crinkled with amused fondness. 

He rolls his hips, grinding into Jongin’s half hard cock pointedly before licking into his mouth again and Jongin scrambles to slick his fingers up, distracted by Kyungsoo’s tongue. 

Reaching around him, Jongin teases briefly, giving him a moment’s warning before pushing a finger in and swallows Kyungsoo’s moan. 

“More,” he grunts, pushing his hips back meaningfully. “Come on. I can take it.” 

Jongin obliges, slipping in a second and third to work him open quickly. His cock twitches in response, fully hard now, when Kyungsoo fucks himself onto his fingers, still silently asking for more. 

Sliding them out, Jongin rolls on a condom quickly, sparing a second to wonder if it even matters. He doesn't get much time to mull over it because Kyungsoo pushes him down again, raising himself up on his knees and sinks down on his cock slowly. His eyelashes flutter, jaw hanging open soundlessly until he’s sunk all the way with a breathy groan. Taken by surprise, Jongin moans loudly, his hands flying up to rest on Kyungsoo's hips. 

He sits still, and Jongin pinches his side, urging him to move. He's tight around his cock, but Jongin needs more. 

Kyungsoo leans forward in response, dragging Jongin's hands off his sides and pins them over his head, pressing them down into the sheets. He catches Jongin's eye just as he rolls his hips, drawing moans from the both of them. Dipping down all the way, Kyungsoo licks into his mouth again, muffling Jongin's whimper when he grinds his hips down again, setting up a slow rhythm. 

Jongin shakes his grip off his wrists, wanting to touch him again and slides his palms up along Kyungsoo's firm thighs. He slides his hands around to cup Kyungsoo's ass and grinds up to meet Kyungsoo's hips when he slams down. 

Heaving himself up, Jongin rolls him over and presses Kyungsoo's back down against the bed this time. He slips out a little from the movement, pushing Kyungsoo's knees up to his chest to drives his hips back in. 

Kyungsoo’s thighs tighten around his waist, his arms winding around his neck and clutching at his back, digging his nails into his skin. He clenches around Jongin with every thrust, throwing his head back when Jongin fucks him harder, pushing in deeper. 

Kyungsoo's cock is hard, curved against his stomach even though he hasn't fed since the morning. Curling his fingers around him, Jongin tugs slowly, wanting to hear every sound he can draw out of him. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Kyungsoo keens, trying to fuck into the tight ring of Jongin's fingers and still meet the pace of his hips. Jongin can feel his release burning in the pit of his stomach, pushing closer with Kyungsoo whispering nonsensically in his ear, gasping about how good it feels. Nosing at Kyungsoo’s jaw line, he pushes his face into his throat, mouthing at his skin. He thrusts in hard and comes with a choked cry, with Kyungsoo following only seconds later, tensing up and arching against him. 

He feels Kyungsoo's cool fingers sliding into his hair, soothing him through the aftershocks when he slips out, still too sensitive. Rolling over on his side, Jongin tugs the condom off, tying it into a knot and throws it off to the side, hoping it lands in the bin. 

Kyungsoo disappears for a moment, slower than usual, bumping into the bed post on wobbly legs before slumping down by Jongin's side again with a handful of tissues to clean them up. 

Jongin latches onto him the moment he's done, throwing an arm around Kyungsoo to tug him closer. His eyes droop drowsily but he catches the way Kyungsoo is staring at him, a soft smile playing along his lips. Kyungsoo's mouth against his own is the last thing he registers before he drifts off. 

 

 

When Jongin rolls awake in the morning, the spot beside him is empty. He glances around blearily and spots Kyungsoo, already fully dressed, hovering uncertainly by the door, 

Jongin sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and frowns at the look on Kyungsoo’s face.

“I broke protocol,” he says finally, fiddling with the cufflink on his sleeve. “There’s- we have rules against this kind of thing, boundaries, I-”

He stops himself short, swallowing loudly and Jongin feels his heart sink.

“Do you regret it?” he asks quietly, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed to pull on his pants. He sits and stares at the wall resolutely, bracing his hands on the edge on the mattress by his sides with hunched shoulders. 

A moment of silence and then the mattress dips under Kyungsoo’s weight. 

“No,” he says, and something about his tone makes Jongin believe it. Kyungsoo’s finger comes up to curl around Jongin’s softly, tentatively. “Do you?”

Frowning, Jongin turns to look at him and sees the real worry in his eyes that has nothing to do with protocol. 

“No,” he answers firmly, turning his hand over to slip his fingers in between Kyungsoo’s and squeezes. He leans in and presses their lips together, kissing the uncertainty off Kyungsoo’s face until he kisses him back.

They pull apart and Kyungsoo breathes out a sigh, pressing the tips of his fingers into Jongin’s cheek. 

“I can still do this,” he says quietly, looking up at him. “I can still protect you.”

“I know,” Jongin murmurs, catching Kyungsoo’s wrist and kisses the centre of his palm. “I know.”

 

▸

 

"You're kidding. He actually went through with it?"

"Yeah! A deal's a deal," Jongin laughs, remembering his friend Chanyeol's face when he tried the cinnamon challenge after losing a bet. 

Kyungsoo chuckles incredulously, propping his elbow on the table with his chin nestled in his palm. Jongin falls silent, taking in his face. He really looks so beautiful when he smiles. 

"You sap," Kyungsoo snorts, smiling wider and Jongin realizes he'd said it out loud. 

"Hey-" Jongin retorts but doesn't get any further because Kyungsoo's smile slips right off his face, eyes focused on a spot above his head, out the window behind him. 

He's yanking Jongin forward right off his chair a split second later, just as the glass shatters with an earsplitting crash. Jongin staggers as Kyungsoo half carries him away, hissing at a sudden sharp prickle in his neck; a shard of glass probably. That window was supposed to be bulletproof.

They barely make it another step before Kyungsoo cries out in pain, stumbling and falling heavily to his knees, dragging Jongin down with him in the process. There's a flash of black by the window, a team of men flooding in through the window frame but Jongin is too distracted by what's in front of him.

"Kyungsoo!" Jongin feels the blood drain from his face completely. There's the end of a pointed, wooden stake protruding straight out of Kyungsoo's chest, coat tipped with blood, barely even an inch from his heart. A little more to the left and he would have been dust.

Grunting, Kyungsoo curls his fist tightly around the end and pulls, biting back his whimper until he yanks the stake out, tossing it aside. 

"Come on," he wheezes, staggering to his feet. He presses his palm to the bloody wound on his chest, trying to stop the bleeding until it heals. The heavy footfall behind them follows, inching nearer cautiously. Acting quickly, Kyungsoo reaches for his belt with his free hand, unhooking a bullet sized steel pellet and tosses it behind him where the intruders are lying in wait. The pellet hisses and explodes into a cloud of smoke, drowning the hall in a smokescreen. 

Kyungsoo gets Jongin around the corner, out of the intruders' line of sight and away from the smoke before crumpling to his knees again. The blood spurts through the gaps between his fingers, flowing relentlessly.

"You're not healing," Jongin whispers shakily, his hands hovering over him, unsure of what to do. 

"Shit," Kyungsoo chokes out, painstakingly slow by his standard when he heaves himself up again with a hand braced against the wall. "The stake. They must have dipped it in werewolf blood."

He leans back against the wall, cocking his head, listening. The tendrils of the white smoke creep around the corner.

"I need to see who they are and how many of them there are," he whispers, throwing an arm across Jongin's chest protectively, to keep him back. "I need to deal with them."

"Let me help," Jongin says, leaning forward but Kyungsoo pushes him back against the wall immediately. 

"No way," Kyungsoo glares at him, his brows tugging together. "I said I would protect you. That means you need to stay here. Out of sight."

"I can't just do nothing,"Jongin hisses back desperately, feeling the bubble of fear imploding in his chest as the seconds stretch on. It's eerily silent in the apartment even though it's full of people. 

"Jongin," Kyungsoo pleads with him, turning to him properly. He cups his face with his blood free hand, gentle even in the situation they're in.

"I told you I could do this," he says, looking Jongin in the eye desperately. "Just trust me."

Jongin sighs, conceding reluctantly. "I do." 

"Good," Kyungsoo breathes and disappears before Jongin can even blink.

Jongin presses himself back against the wall, listening for any sounds and startles at the sudden volley of gunfire, followed by heavy thumps on the hardwood floor. 

Swallowing back his fear, Jongin resists the urge to peek around the corner, noting the way the smoke is already dissipating. Kyungsoo appears in front of him seconds later.

"Fifteen," he pants, his face contorting in pain when his chest heaves, still bleeding out from the wound. "Well, twelve now. I need to get you out."

He's not even done talking when the wall by Jongin's side explodes, the bricks smashing apart inches from his face. Kyungsoo whisks him away before the crumbling wall crushes them both, hurtling into the bedroom. He manages to send of a volley of shots from his own gun, aiming expertly and shooting until his clip empties out and he slams the door shut, barricading it with the dresser. 

The strain of it finally catches up to him and Jongin just catches him before he keels over, feeling the front of his shirt dampen with blood. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kyungsoo mutters, trying to wave him off. He reaches for his wristwatch, twisting the knob around three times to send out a distress call for backup. 

"You're _not_ fine," Jongin retorts, sinking down to the floor with him slowly when Kyungsoo's legs start to buckle. "You need-"

It hits him as the words leave his tongue. Kyungsoo needs his blood. 

"No no no, no way," Kyungsoo protests, immediately catching on. "I promised I would never-"

"I want you to," Jongin cuts him off, already yanking up his sleeve to expose his arm. "You need it and I want you to."

He cups the back of Kyungsoo's head gently, bringing his forearm close to Kyungsoo's mouth. 

"It's okay," he coaxes, the doubt still evident in Kyungsoo's eyes. He leans in, presses his mouth to Kyungsoo's hairline and brings his arm closer until he can feel Kyungsoo's lips on his skin. 

It hurts when Kyungsoo sinks his teeth in, piercing through his vein but Jongin holds back his whimper, carding his fingers through Kyungsoo's hair, urging him to take more. It's a strange sensation, having his blood drawn out like this and feeling it rush out. Kyungsoo lets out a quiet moan and Jongin wonders what he tastes like to him. His arm feels oddly numb when Kyungsoo retracts his fangs, his lips shiny with _his_ blood. 

Then Kyungsoo turns and throws up on the carpet, retching some of the blood back up. He cries out in pain and a thin veil of smoke seeps out of his mouth, like he's burning from the inside. Mortified, Jongin stares at his arm like he’ll find an explanation on the skin.

"Poison," Kyungsoo gasps, choking on a bloody cough again and clutches at his throat. "It's poisoned- wolfsbane." 

"Wha-" the memory of the pin prick on his neck suddenly hits him and his eyes widen in shock. The wolfsbane won’t hurt him but it _will_ kill Kyungsoo. "Fuck, Kyungsoo, I'm so sor-"

The door bursts open, smashing against the wall with the force of the swing and the masked men swarm into the room.

Jongin gets to his feet shakily, trying to keep himself between Kyungsoo and the nozzle of every gun aimed at them. He's at least mostly certain that they're not here to kill _him_.

It's a split second, blink of an eye movement; one of the masked man steps forward to grab him but Jongin suddenly finds the floor coming up to meet his face when he's yanked back by the ankle. He slams into the ground, just barely breaking the fall with his elbow before smashing his nose in the floorboards. He catches Kyungsoo flying past him through the corner of his eye, the thin trail of smoke still following him as he moves.

Jongin can barely keep up, even if the pace is slower than usual with Kyungsoo weakened so badly. The man who reaches out for him crumples to the ground, knocked out cold and another volley of bullets showers over them, puncturing through the walls and furniture.

He feels Kyungsoo's hand on his shoulder for the briefest second, thrusting him backwards to slide under the bed frame right before two more men crumple, necks snapped.

Jongin turns his face away, stomach churning. He can't see anything past everyone's shins from under the bedframe, recognizing Kyungsoo's moving faster than he can keep up with, taking them down one after the other through the gunfire.

He yells when someone latches on to his ankle, grappling futilely at the floorboard before he's yanked out into the open.

"Don't fucking move," the masked man grunts and Jongin stares right into the barrel of the gun. The deafening bang echoes in his ears but he feels nothing, watching instead as Kyungsoo shows up to push the gun up towards the ceiling instead. He yanks the gun out of the man's hands and smashes his fist dead centre into his chest with a growl, propelling the man right through the wall behind him with the force of it.

Kyungsoo's still coughing up blood when he turns back, but aims the gun in his hands with trained precision and shoots over Jongin's head. The men fall with heavy thumps against the ground and then silence follows, marking the last of them.

Kyungsoo's chest is heaving, eyes sharp, still holding the gun up. There's no movement from the bodies on the ground. Jongin tries not to look at them as he pushes himself up, tentatively reaching out to touch Kyungsoo's arm.

It breaks the spell and Kyungsoo drops the gun like it suddenly weighs fifty tons. He falls to his knees before Jongin can catch him, his face contorted with pain. A fresh wave of blood dribbles from the corner of his mouth and he falls back, his head just missing the ground when Jongin gets to him, slipping an arm around him,

"Kyungsoo!" Jongin's free hand hovers over him helplessly. He's terrified at how weak Kyungsoo feels in his arms, blinking up at him blearily, already starting to slip out of focus.

"Told you I'd protect you," he whispers, coughing wetly on the bubble of blood in his throat.

"Don’t talk. Just save your strength," Jongin pleads frantically, panicking when he starts to fade out. He stares around the room hopelessly like he’s expecting someone to miraculously appear and help them. “Stay with me, okay?"

His hands are limp by his sides and he barely seems able to scrounge up the energy to smile up at Jongin, face spattered with blood. Jongin catches the glisten of a tear rolling down the corner of Kyungsoo's eye through the sheen of his own tears. He clutches Kyungsoo closer, screaming for help in his head as he pushes Kyungsoo's blood encrusted bangs aside from his face.

He tries to wipe the blood away but it's pointless when Kyungsoo coughs up even more, barely holding back a pained whimper. Swallowing down a sob, Jongin stroking his cheek gently.

"You're gonna be okay, just- just hold on, okay?" he chokes out around the way his heart is breaking in his chest. Kyungsoo smiles wider, eyes at half mast now even if they still haven't once left Jongin's.

"Please," Jongin begs, holding Kyungsoo's face in his hand. The tears roll off the tip of his nose, dripping onto Kyungsoo's skin. His breathing is so shallow Jongin can barely feel it at all, and Kyungsoo’s eyes slip shut again, a little longer each time. He did this to him, this is his fault, he pushed him to drink his blood, this is all because of him-

"Don't."

Kyungsoo's hand twitches like he wants to touch Jongin but all his strength has already left him. He settles for another smile instead, his lips stretching up into the usual beautiful heart shape, twisting around the word like it's sitting heavily on his tongue.

"Whatever you're thinking. Don't," he breathes, evidently using up an enormous amount of effort to push the words out. “Listen to me.”

Jongin tries to shush him but Kyungsoo smiles again, blinking slowly. "I love you."

His breath whooshes out through his teeth and stops.

“Kyungsoo?” Jongin’s voice breaks through the panic, shaking him in his arms. “Kyungsoo! Wake up, _fuck_ please don’t do this to me.”

Kyungsoo’s face disappears behind the tears blurring Jongin’s vision, grappling at him desperately and trying to shake him awake but Kyungsoo has never been more cold and still since he met him. 

“Wake up,” he pleads, pressing his dripping face to Kyungsoo’s, uncaring of the blood. “Please, _please_ , Kyungsoo-”

He only dimly registers the slam of the door for a second before there’s someone in a suit suddenly standing in front of him. The man assesses the damage with a frown before ducking down beside Jongin and pushes him aside with inhuman speed. 

“Who-”

“My name is Baekhyun, I work with Kyungsoo,” the man says quickly, extracting a syringe from his pocket and rips Kyungsoo’s shirt open to expose his sternum. Jongin barely has time to react before Baekhyun plunges the needle straight into his chest, pushing the yellow liquid into his bloodstream. 

“The antidote for wolfsbane,” Baekhyun explains when Jongin stares at him. There’s a new group of men in suits trooping into the apartment but Jongin doesn’t tear his eyes away from Kyungsoo’s face, kneeling by his side and desperately waiting for him to open his eyes. 

“Why isn’t it working?” he asks numbly when the minutes pass and Kyungsoo hasn’t moved, lying still and cold on the floor. 

Baekhyun doesn’t answer, frowning grimly down at Kyungsoo’s face, his fists clenched on the floor. Jongin raises a shaky hand to wipe away the tears still dripping along his nose, fisting it in the front of his shirt and presses it into the ball of pain, wondering if he actually took a bullet to the chest earlier. Trembling, he reaches out to brush Kyungsoo’s hair aside.

There’s a gurgling sound and Kyungsoo’s eyes suddenly fly open, coughing raspily and gasping for air. 

“Kyungsoo!”

Jongin catches his floundering hand in his and holds on to it tightly, his heart nearly giving out with the force of his relief. He leans down and presses his mouth to Kyungsoo’s hairline, feeling him heaving for air under his lips.

“Jesus, I thought- I-” Jongin voice wavers and he swallows tightly, still a little grief stricken from thinking it was all over. He sees Kyungsoo give him a weak smile, very much alive and breathing again in his arms.

Baekhyun calls the medics team over and coaxes Jongin away from Kyungsoo’s side to give them space.

Heaving a mighty sigh, Baekhyun puffs his cheeks out and runs a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly rattled. He turns to Jongin after a moment and extends his hand.

“So uh. Nice to officially meet you.”

Jongin tries but his voice gives out and he breaks down, dropping down on his haunches and sobs into his fist, both in shock and in relief.

 

▸

 

Dr. Kim flies over to him the second the news reaches him of what happened, pulling Jongin into a long, tight hug. There’s already a police investigation underway, linking the attack to a black market operation that’s been running a trafficking business around the city. There’s no one to bring into custody since Kyungsoo dealt with all of them but the detective tells them they still have a lead on whoever is driving the operation. 

The convention went better than expected. The investor interested in Dr.Kim’s pharmaceutical is willing to change around the terms of their contract to provide Jongin with the protection he needs. They’re scheduled to meet with the investor’s sorcerer next week, to put a protection spell on him. Jongin breathes a sigh of relief at the news that he won’t have to live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.

After the attack, Kyungsoo’s agency takes him back to their own private hospital for immediate care. It’s been five days since then.

He’s tried everything, calling the hospital, asking at the reception, even getting ahold of Baekhyun who sighs apologetically. No one can tell him anything about how Kyungsoo is doing or why he can’t see him. The antidote should have erased the wolfsbane from his system, he should have been able to heal quickly by himself ages ago. Something’s definitely wrong but no one will tell him _anything_. The only thing he manages to wring out of Baekhyun is that he’s alive, or he’d be losing his mind.

He doesn’t go back to the safehouse. Jongin gives the key back to his father when he drops him off at the train station, heading out of town for business. Then he heads back to his own small apartment, wearing holes in the floor with his pacing and nearly tears his hair out anxiously. 

Baekhyun finally calls him a few days later, saying that Kyungsoo’s asking for him. He meets Jongin outside the hospital and there’s definitely something he’s not telling him, but his expression isn’t as grim as he’d expected. 

“I’ll wait out here,” Baekhyun says when they arrive at the room Kyungsoo is in. “Take it easy in there, alright?”

Confused, Jongin just nods and pushes the door open, desperate to see Kyungsoo’s face. 

“Jongin.”

Kyungsoo is sitting up on the hospital bed, with a needle in his arm attached to a drip bag. Jongin can see the bandages around his arms peeking out from the sleeves of his hospital gown. He looks weak, paler than usual but he’s smiling so hard it lights up his whole face. Jongin remembers how he’d looked, lifeless in his arms and almost feels like crying again to see him breathing. 

“Hi,” he whispers, taking Kyungsoo’s hand when he reaches out for him. “What happened? Why aren’t you healing?”

Kyungsoo sighs, groaning when he shifts to straighten up against his pillow.

“I needed two surgeries to fix my collapsed kidney and punctured lung,” he says, tugging the neck of his gown down to show Jongin the gauze around his chest. “Broke a couple of ribs.”

“But this doesn’t make sense,” Jongin frowns, still confused. “Why is it- how are you still-”

“Here,“ Kyungsoo cuts in, pulling Jongin’s hand up to lay it over his own cheek. “What do you feel?”

Jongin palms the side of his face softly, pressing his thumb along Kyungsoo’s soft skin. His _warm_ skin. Jongin’s eyes widen, his jaw dropping in shock. Kyungsoo is beaming at him widely, squeezing Jongin’s hand even though his grip is weak.

“You’re-?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says, his eyes twinkling when he looks at him. “I’m human, Jongin.”

“But _how_?” Jongin gapes, flabbergasted. None of this adds up, there’s so many variables working against the logic of it, like why he hasn’t turned to _dust_ yet.

“They brought in some specialists,” Kyungsoo explains. “They said your blood healed me because I’m still within my body’s years to live.”

“Holy shit,” Jongin breathes in disbelief, letting it sink in. “So. You’re mortal again.”

He thinks back to what Kyungsoo said to him once, about the loneliness of outliving everyone he cares about for as long as he existed. 

“So, how do you feel about it?” he asks, breaking into a huge grin and Kyungsoo lurches forward to kiss it off his face, gripping his shoulder tightly as he tilts his head. Jongin laughs into it, barely able the hold the kiss for more than a few seconds, so Kyungsoo kisses the rest of his face instead.

“Pretty damn good,” he beams, and he looks so radiant and happy even when his body is so beaten down. 

Kyungsoo kisses him again right after Jongin tells him he loves him back, only stopping when Baekhyun comes in to break it up with a grin because Kyungsoo’s heart monitor is beeping too much.


End file.
